On December 17, 2023, the finals of the 23rd "Mayor's Cup" Hong Kong Jockey Club Three-on-One Football Tournament in Guangzhou were staged at the Guangzhou Sports East Football Stadium. The champions of each group in the city's 11 divisions gathered in Tianhe to challenge for the championship of the finals. After more than 70 fierce competitions, the champions of all 7 categories were announced. Representatives of Guangzhou Sports Bureau, Guangzhou Sports Federation, Guangzhou Mass Sports Guidance Center, Hong Kong Jockey Club, Guangzhou Football Association, representatives of outstanding competition areas, representatives of event support units and members of Hong Kong Jinfeng Football Team attended the finals and award ceremony.
The girls of the women's soccer team are not afraid of the cold. Photo courtesy of Guangzhou Football Association
The scene of the competition. Photo courtesy of Guangzhou Football Association
As an annual mass football event in Guangzhou, the "Mayor's Cup" three-person football tournament has been highly valued and supported by the Guangzhou Municipal Sports Bureau, Guangzhou Sports Federation and other units for many years. In October this year, the Guangzhou Football Association and the Hong Kong Jockey Club once again launched a three-year event cooperation, continuing to create a mass amateur football event platform with a high degree of professionalism and wide influence for the majority of football lovers, organically combining football and national fitness, and jointly promoting the development of sports in Guangzhou, aiming to make the "Mayor's Cup" brand event continue to grow bigger and stronger, attract more citizens to enjoy the charm and fun of football, and create a healthy and happy local football cultural atmosphere.
With the strong support of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the chief partner of this event, this year's event will further integrate and optimize resources, enhance popularity and interest, consolidate the "Mayor's Cup", a mass football brand, and promote the mass and marketization of football. The Hong Kong Jockey Club has also been concerned about and supporting the development of football, promoting youth football and nurturing future football talents. Fan Yee-ming, Deputy General Manager for Mainland Affairs of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: "As a sports organisation that loves the country and Hong Kong, the Club is delighted to witness the successful conclusion of the 'Mayor's Cup' 3x3 Football Tournament as the Lead Partner for the fourth time, and will continue to fully support Guangzhou's branded events in the areas of national fitness and youth sports, further promoting sports and cultural exchanges and co-operation between Guangzhou and Hong Kong." ”
This year, the Hong Kong Jinfeng football team was specially invited to Guangzhou to compete and exchange. Photo courtesy of Guangzhou Football Association
A total of 11 preliminaries were set up in this competition, attracting nearly 3,300 people from 659 teams to sign up for the competition, and a total of 687 wonderful matches were held in 7 competition days, and the champions of each division were qualified to participate in the city's finals. In the end, Xiaogangdong B Team, Haizhu Real Madrid Team, TMT Team, 197653 Team, Haiyin Youth Football Club 0506 Team, Guangzhou Deshang Dental Forbidden Area Team, and Chuancheng Sports Association won the championship of each group, and Zengcheng Division, Conghua Division, Nansha Division, and Huangpu Division won the title of "Excellent Division". This year, the Hong Kong Jinfeng football team was specially invited to Guangzhou to exchange ideas with the Guangzhou Football Association echelon and the "Mayor's Cup" open group teams to experience this football feast together. An interesting game experience area and a group photo area were also set up at the site to create a positive and joyful football atmosphere.
The high-quality mass football events are not only loved by the citizens and become a beautiful scenery in the city, but also can promote the high-quality development of mass sports in Guangzhou to a new level. As a football brand event with the longest history and the highest participation of the masses in Guangzhou, the "Mayor's Cup" 3x3 Football Tournament will continue to enrich and enrich the connotation in the form, content and highlight activities of the competition in the future, so as to make this brand event more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.